1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to tents, specifically to a locking fastener for locking a pair of tent poles at their intersection, and suspending a tent membrane thereunder.
2. Prior Art
Camping or backpacking tents are small, portable shelters that generally include a dome shaped membrane. The membrane (made of canvas, nylon, etc.) is supported at its outer surface from a set of overhead, flexible, intersecting poles bent into arches. A series of rings or fasteners are distributed along the pole paths. The poles extend through the rings, which hold the membrane to the poles. When properly assembled, the membrane is stretched taut throughout its entire surface, the fasteners are positioned as far apart from each other as possible, and the poles intersect each other at predetermined points. However, the intersecting poles often shift position relative to each other, especially when the tent is assembled and positioned on uneven ground, so that some poles will move the fasteners closer together. This causes the membrane between those rings to slacken, and the tent to become deformed. When the tent is deformed, its structural integrity is reduced, and it may flap about in the wind, or even partially collapse.
Several different devices have been proposed for joining tent poles at their intersections to prevent them from shifting position, so as to maintain the shape of the tent. U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,259 to Gillis (1981) shows a device with a pair of pivoting sleeves 15, 17 attached to predetermined points on a tent membrane with discs. The pivoting sleeves hold two poles together at their intersection at any angle. However, the sleeves are free to slide along the poles if disturbed, so that the intersection points may shift and deform the tent.
German patent publication DE 3213-781 to Kramer (1983) shows a hook 26 closed with a flexible tab 30 for holding a pair of tent poles 12 at their intersection. A strip of webbing 36 connected to a tent membrane 14 is looped through a slot 34 on a lower part of the clip. The Kramer device is also free to slide along the poles, so that the intersection points between them may shift and deform the tent.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,650,401 to La Mond (1951) shows a clip similar to the Kramer device, but made for a different purpose. It is mounted to a sheet of canvas 12 by passing a strip of webbing 50 through a slot 20 thereon. A flap of canvas that includes a grommet 38 is folded over the clip, so that the clip is passed through the grommet. A rope 40 is pushed sideways into the clip to retain the grommet and the flap of canvas thereon. The La Mond device can be used for holding intersecting tent poles in the same manner as the Kramer device, and it suffers the same drawback.